Hit By A Semi, The Sore Thumbs, Omarr Escoffie of Slow Car Crash & Reverend Shelby Cobra and Cliff Greenwood

An assorted group of musicians banded together recently and showed what level of talent is required to be affiliated with Chico, California’s Sacred Art Records label. As I looked around LaSalle’s just prior to the show’s 10 PM start, I was impressed with the crowd this lineup had drawn. Friends drove in from out of town and other bands - former bill-mates from the heyday or just supporters of the scene - dropped by to raise their fists. And while I initially assumed Hit By A Semi was what drove this mob on Spring Break Eve, in reality, the floor was packed from the Rev. Shelby Cobra / Cliff Greenwood duo’s first guitar chords until last call.
The sight of Cobra and Greenwood perched upon their chairs, accompanied only by their guitars and drinks, harkened back to another era. Their duets dripped with Americana spirit, and Greenwood’s vocals paired perfectly with Cobra’s whiskey-marinated rasp. “Come on, you sonsabitches,” Shelby taunted the crowd, either when we didn’t sing along or when he wanted us to share a drink.
Omarr from Slow Car Crash held the same kind of ambience as he sat alone on stage with his guitar and one streaming spotlight. His tunes (like the opener, a cover of TLC’s “Red Light Special”) were melodic, slow and sultry, and his crooning voice oozed talent and passion. Amazingly, this rabblerousing crowd was feeling the vibe, and gave Omarr an incredible send-off at the end of his set.
The trio that comprised the Bay Area’s The Sore Thumbs drew the crowd front-and-center and kicked off the perpetual fist pumping that would last through the night. These guys rocked: they kept things upbeat, had an incredible amount of energy, and above all, looked like they were having fun up there. The delivery of their songs (most notably “The City,” which enticed a steady stream to the dance floor) came in the complete package of bass, guitar, drums and vocals, oftentimes reminding me of Social Distortion. Now I can’t get their sample disc out of my CD player.
When the time came for hometown punk heroes Hit By A Semi to take the stage, the energy of the room jumped a couple notches. Almost immediately, a sort of cell formed on the dance floor: a membrane of head-nodders, drink-raisers and fist-pumpers surrounded the friendly pit nucleus. Since I wasn’t around during the band’s Chico prime, I can only say they more than surpassed the rumors of their greatness. Everything was in perfect agreement, from the solid drum core to the stimulating guitar riffs and again, their driving energy. I could’ve listened to these guys all night, but they stopped just in time for last call (which seemed to come way too soon).
This show was an incredible testament to the wealth of Chico’s musical talent, and a look into the great things sure to come from Sacred Art Records.
- Mandy Johnston
- Photo by Alyssa Starkey

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